New Bike

["Tom Brown" <tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kevin:

>The RT's bodywork was indeed a bunch of panels slapped together. Looked like
crystals had grown somehow. Did someone mention Superman's Fortress of
Solitude? (Or was it Krypton self-destructing?) I can't see how it can be
more aerodynamic than the 1100 or 1150. Would be interesting to know the
coefficient of drag for each of these models. I thought that if you could
order the bike with all fairing parts painted the same colour, it would make
the bike more whole, not pieced together.

Exactly!  I think black on black would work fine.

>Would the design prevent me from
buying it? Probably not, but it sure wouldn't cause me to buy it.

Well put.   These guys should be doing better.   The 1150 was a nice
improvement over the 1100.   I like what they did to the lighting.   Better
lights and better looking bike.   This, on the other hand, is just a copy of
about 3 different bikes and doesn't look integrated.   Very silly for BMW, but
look what they've done to their cars!

>Now the
extra ponies and all the other technical goodies, well, that's a different
matter.

Correct-o-mundo, Kev.   The new bikes, based on my GS experiences, should be
really special.   I also don't mind the look of the dash.   Love that it will
be glowing red at night.   I had a 733i for a short time long ago and it had
the most magnificent dash.  I loved the amber gages.

>The model I sat on had the low seat option, and I could flat foot it. I have
a 30" inseam. It felt like I was *in* the bike rather than *on* it. This
could be largely be because the tank is higher than on the earlier RT's.

Higher tank and lower seat combined.    I think the normal seat is for me.
I'm also a 30" inseam, but I have a long torso.  I should like a short seat,
but my knees say otherwise.

>I thought the ST looked pretty good, with the exception of that headlight.
Hideous in my opinion. Looked like some crystal on steroids.

Haven't seen one in the flesh, but I rather like the photos.   The 1100S
looked pretty radical with the off-center uneven headlights, but I think it's
one of the best looking bikes you can buy now.   Just beautiful.
Unfortunately, there are too many things that aggrevate me on that bike.  The
high exhaust pipe cramping the left sidecase is just one...

- -TB

------------------------------

End of oilheads-digest V2 #60
*****************************